Minnesota
by Manhattan23
Summary: A tragedy happens in Lux's life that leads her to Minnesota to find Eric.
1. Chapter 1

She walked into the bar on a cold and wintry afternoon in January. The private eye had told her that he often came here after getting off work at the local museum. The Minneapolis Metropolitan Museum of art was only four blocks away. He would walk past this bar everyday on his way home from work. Sure she could have turned up there or even at his apartment door but somehow she thought the bar was the perfect place considering the first time they met had been in a bar.

Six months earlier she walked into detective Mike Evans office. She handed him a check and a piece of paper with the name Eric Daniels on it and the fact that he was from Minnesota and a former teacher at Westmonte High School in 2010. She had to find him. So much had happened, she felt broken inside. The thought of finding him was the only thing that got her up and out of the house.

It had taken her two months to get the courage up to come here after detective Evans told her his findings. Eric was working as an art director at the museum and had been for the last two years. He was not married and didn't have a girlfriend as far as the detective could see. Eric hadn't worked as a teacher since leaving Westmonte.

Lux was early, she knew that Eric didn't get off work until 6pm but since the bar was open she thought getting there early would make her nerves go away. Lux sat at the bar with a clear view of the door and ordered a rum and coke. The local bar quickly filled up with people getting off from the local establishments.

Eric saw her the moment he opened the door. She was sitting at the bar in a blue crochet hat wearing jeans and a University of Oregon T-shirt. Lux took his breath away. He stood there for a moment and just took her in. Their eyes met and it was like everyone else just faded away.

"Hi Eeyore, fancy running into you here"

"Well I finally had to come see where you were from Minnesota."

"I'll have a beer and another for the lady" Eric told the bartender.

Once their drinks came Eric motioned for them to move to a table in the back.

"So you work at the museum huh?"

"Yeah for a couple of years now. It's interesting. How did you know that I work there? That I come here?"

"I needed to find you and I hired a PI to track you down."

"You know your parents told me that if I ever saw you again that they would have me arrested."

"Don't worry about them, they know I'm here and they think its good for me" Lux explained.

Eric nodded his head and tried to imagine that it was true. He had hoped that with time they wouldn't hate him.

"You look good Eeyore, U of O huh?" referring to her T-shirt.

"Yeah, I'm a senior majoring in English. The plan was to start up an nonprofit organization to tutor kids in the foster care system after graduation. You know help kids like me. Tasha has majored in history and she is planning on going to law school."

"That's great Lux, I'm so proud that you both went to college." He noted the sadness in her voice. Lux brushed the hair out of her face and in doing so Eric noticed the diamond engagement ring on her finger. Was that why she was here? Eric wondered. Did she just want to tell him that she was getting married? The whole thing had an eerie similarity to the first time they met.

Lux snapped him out of his thoughts by telling him that Ryan and Cate had gotten a divorce after Cate lost the baby and that Cate and Baze had gotten married. Cate found out that Julia was pregnant with Ryan's baby and told him. She didn't want to stand in his way of raising his own child.

"Wow that's certainly a lot that has happened. It must be great having your parents back together, I know you always secretly wanted that."

"Yeah it is, and they are really happy. You can tell they were meant to be together."

"I'm sorry Cate lost the baby though, you would have been a wonderful big sister. I hope it had nothing to do with finding out about us."

"No it didn't, the doctor said Cate could never have another baby. It was because of something that happened when she had me."

"Oh, listen its getting a little crowded in here, you want to go for a walk?" Eric asked wanting a little bit more privacy.

"Yeah, I'd love to."

They walked in silence for blocks. Neither wanting to break the peacefulness of being together. Eric wondered why she was back in his life now after all these years but he wouldn't push her. He knew Lux would tell him when she was ready. He had missed her so much but he knew he had to stay away for her well-being. He tried to do the best thing for her.

They walked until they came to a bridge overlooking the water. It all looked so peaceful at night.

Lux broke the silence. "Aren't you wondering why after 5 years I suddenly hired a PI to track you down and then I show up here?"

"The only thing I'm wondering right now is if that's an engagement ring?"

Eric shocked her, Lux had practically forgotten even wearing the ring, it had become so much apart of her.

"If it is, are you here to have me talk you out of this one too?" Eric asked referring to her short engagement to Bug.

"It is but that's not why I'm here Minnesota."

With that they stood in silence, it hung in the air between them for what felt like an eternity.

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They stood there and looked at the water until it was too cold to stay out there anymore. It was getting late and Eric realized that neither of them had ate dinner so he suggested picking up some chinese food and going back to his apartment if that was okay with Lux, she agreed. They made small talk on the way to pick up the food. Just casual talk that wasn't forced, it was comfortable. Lux was excited at the aspect of getting to see Eric's apartment for the first time. Especially since she never got to see his in Portland.

When they walked through the door they were greeted by a big yellow lab.

"This is Rosie, I rescued her from a local shelter."

"Hi Rosie, good girl. I like that name."

Lux looked around the small apartment while Eric fed Rosie. It was a mix of masculine and comfort. The bookshelves were lined with first edition novels & travel books and Eric had an extensive vinyl collection that Lux made a note to ask about later. Eric came over and turned on some music and together they unpacked the food.

"I like the apartment, it's very you."

"It's very me huh."

"Yeah, it is, from the leather sofa to the big screen TV, it's all very you Minnesota."

"Well maybe I'll give you a tour of the rest of the apartment after dinner."

"I'd like that, you know I never got to see your apartment in Portland but I imagined what it was like and I thought it would be a lot like this."

"You know I was pretty much a gypsey after I left Portland. I traveled around Europe for years. I don't think I could stand being on the same continent as you. I heard you were valedictorian of your senior class."

"Yeah, I was. How'd you know?"

"Math sent me a text, I guess he wanted me to know you turned out okay. It's the only time I ever heard from him."

"You know you were the only reason I could have ever done that. You gave me the confidence and the skills to succeed in school."

"No Eeyore, you did it all on your own."

Together they cleaned up dinner and cleared the table. Eric took Lux on that tour of the apartment, which consisted of seeing the laundry room, bathroom, and his bedroom.

"Sorry, I would have cleaned up had I known I was going to have company."

"It's fine really, your place is very neat and organized. I like the burnt orange walls, its very cool."

"Oh, you like that do you, my mom picked out all the colors and helped with the decorating. I think she was just so excited that I finally came home."

"That's my fault, that you stayed away from your mom and your family for so long. I'm so sorry Eric. Maybe I shouldn't have come here, this isn't fair to you to just show up back in your life after all this time."

Lux turned to leave when Eric grabbed her by the arm. "Don't you dare say that was your fault. I had a choice to make and I chose wrong. But for the life of me Lux I would do it all over again if it meant I got to help you."

"You did help me Eric, so much."

They embraced for the first time in five years and neither of them wanted to let go. It was Rosie that broke them apart; she needed to be walked.

"I should be going anyway, it's getting late." Lux said.

"No, you can't, we haven't even really talked yet. You can't just walk back into my life to walk back out of it so quickly. Look stay, I'll call in sick to work tomorrow and we can spend the entire day together. I'll take Rosie for her walk and you can take a shower and get ready for bed, use anything of mine you want." Pulling out a dresser drawer he showed her where his t-shirts were for her to sleep in.

"Are you sure." was all Lux could manage.

"Yes, I'm not letting you go, actually I can't." with that Eric left the room with Rosie pulling his bedroom door shut behind him. Leaving Lux standing in Eric's bedroom thinking of the words that he had spoken to her years ago on a school bus coming back from a camping trip.

Lux heard the front door close and with that she grabbed one of Eric's t-shirts out of the drawer and went into the bathroom for her shower. All the while thinking how when she got off the plane this morning she felt so alone and now she felt whole again.

When Eric got back from walking Rosie he knocked gingerly on his bedroom door. Lux was already out of the shower and had crawled into Eric's bed. "Come in" Lux said. When Eric opened the door the sight of her wearing his t-shirt in his bed was almost too much for him. "I hope you don't mind." she said referring to being in his bed. "No, no not at all. You just kind of took my breath away that's all." Eric said. Lux blushed.

"I'll just grab a pillow and blanket and go sleep on the couch." Eric offered.

"No, don't you dare. It's a big bed, we can share, besides its not like it's the first time we've ever shared a bed."

He got his pajamas and went into the bathroom to shower and change. By the time he came out Lux had already drifted off to sleep. She was barely aware of Eric slipping into bed. And as he said _Good Night_ he barely made out Lux saying "Good night Jones, I love you" in her sleep. As if Eric wasn't already going to have a hard time sleeping tonight. He couldn't believe that just this morning seeing her again was only a dream but now she was here in his bed...saying another guys name.

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	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Eric woke at 6:30am, Lux was still asleep in bed curled up next to him. Eric couldn't believe she was really there; it hadn't all been a dream. Last night he was afraid to fall asleep that somehow she would disappear. Eric stared at her for a few moments before carefully rolling her over and climbing out of bed. Eric quietly got dressed. He hoped he could take Rosie for her morning walk and stop by and pick up some coffee and bagels for breakfast before Lux work up.

Coming back into the apartment as quietly as possible, Eric didn't hear any noises he proceeded down the hall to his bedroom and found Lux waking to the smell of the coffee and to Rosie jumping on the bed. "Good morning, I bring coffee and bagels" Eric says. "Good morning, that smells like heaven." Lux says.

"Breakfast in bed madam"

"Wow a girl could get used to this"

" I called work while I was out and told them I was taking the day off. We can do whatever you want today." Said Eric.

"I should probably call Cate and Tasha this morning since I forgot to last night"

"Yeah, yeah and Jones too." Eric said. Lux looked as if the air had just been sucked out of the room. "You said his name last night in your sleep." Eric stated.

"Oh, I should go" Lux said getting up from the bed. "I should have never come here in the first place."

"Don't say that, I want to talk about why you came and I want to know all about your life now."

"You want to know about my life now. My life now is a mess. I didn't go to school at all last semester. I didn't do much of anything really. I am broken inside and I just was trying to think back to a time when I was really happy and I just keep coming back to you." Lux said crying.

"Hey, shh come here" Eric said pulling her closer into his arms. They stood like that for a few minutes, holding onto each other.

"Why don't you get dressed and call your parents and Tasha and then we can talk." Eric offered. "Okay" was all Lux could manage.

Coming into the living room Lux saw Eric sitting on the sofa. "Cate says 'Hi', I left Tasha a message." Lux came over and sat on the other end of the sofa. "You know when you told the truth and everything went to hell I was left all alone. Ryan and Cate split up and I tried to talk to Tasha but they wouldn't let me at the juvenile detention center. Jones tried to be nice to me. He said if I ever needed anyone to talk to about you or anything that I could talk to him. Tasha and Jones broke up shortly after she got out of juvey. It wasn't long before Jones and I were seeing each other again. We were King & Queen at the senior prom. Jones told me that his mom was bipolar and that his greatest fear was turning out like her. Things were perfect when we first went away to college. We were so happy. And the night Jones gave me this ring was one of the best nights of my life. I feel like I didn't savor the moment enough, you know. Jones started experiencing these episodes of acting like his mother. He couldn't stand the mood swings. He couldn't stand the way he treated me. One weekend Tasha and I went out of town with Cate to a concert in LA. When we got back I found his body in his apartment. He had taken a whole bottle of pills. The letter on the nightstand said that he couldn't stand what it was doing to him, what it was doing to us. He would rather die than go on living that way. That was nine months and fourteen days ago. It took me weeks even to get out of bed. I couldn't even go to the funeral because it hurt so much." Lux was now in a full stream of crying tears.

"I am so sorry Lux. I can't imagine what you must be going through. Jones was a good guy. I always knew that. I had no idea, I'm so sorry. You have to remember all the good moments you shared with him and you can't let the bad that has followed color the good memories. Jones did what he did because he didn't want to hurt you. I get that. I respect him for that. I'm just so sorry that you had to go through this." Eric said.

"I shouldn't have came here and laid all of this on you, I just don't know what to do next. I feel lost and somehow that let me to find you." Lux stated.

"I'm glad it did." Eric reached out and took her hand. "I don't want you going through this alone. I know you have your parents and Tasha but sometimes that isn't enough. I'll do anything I can to help you Eeyore."

Lux and Eric decided to take a walk and clear their heads. As they walked Lux admitted this was the most she had been outside in months and it felt good. Eric took her all around the city showing her different buildings architecture. He had loved growing up here and finally coming back had felt right. They stepped into this little local bistro for lunch. Lux realized that this was the first time they had ever ate lunch together in public. It was nice not having to hide.

On their way back to the apartment Eric's cell phone rang and it was his mother reminding him about dinner tomorrow night. Eric told her something had come up and he was not going to be able to make it.

Walking back in the apartment door Lux was telling him for the tenth time that he should go to dinner at his parent's house. "I don't want to leave you alone, assuming you'll still be here tomorrow night." Eric stated.

"Yeah, I guess, I mean I haven't really though about it." Lux said as honestly as she could be.

"Well would you want to come with me? I don't want to go without you." Said Eric.

"I think that would cause more questions that we have answers for right now." Answered Lux.

"You're right, I don't know what I was thinking. That settles it I'm not going. I want to spend as much time with you as possible. I want to hear all about college and Cate & Baze, everything." Said Eric.

After watching a movie. Eric and Lux ordered take out and Eric went to take Rosie for her walk. He said he would stop by Lux's hotel and pick up her bag while he was out. Lux called the hotel and told them to be expecting Eric and that she was checking out. There was no need to pay for a room when she could just stay with Eric.

There was a knock at the door and Lux assumed it would be the takeout. She grabbed some cash and opened the door to a woman who definitely did not have any takeout.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a knock at the door and Lux assumed it would be the takeout. She grabbed some cash and opened the door to a silver haired middle-aged woman with no food in site.

"Oh, Hi I was looking for Eric." the lady said.

"Hi, he's not here. He just went to take Rosie for a walk."

"Oh, okay, well I'm Debra, Eric's mom." She said to the young woman standing in front of her wearing her son's shirt.

"Oh my gosh, Hi come in, I'm Lux Eric should be right back."

"You're Lux?" Eric's mother asked.

"Yes"

"Eric told me all about you."

"Really, well it isn't as bad as it sounds really." Lux stated, surprised that she knew about her.

"He was very hurt when he had to leave you" Mrs. Daniels came in saying that she didn't know Eric had company.

"I kind of just showed up yesterday, Eric didn't know I was coming." Lux said.

"So you're why Eric didn't go to work today, I called him at the museum earlier today and they said he took the day off, which he never does. And then when I called his cell he didn't want to come to dinner tomorrow night. He never cancels on us. I thought something was wrong, that's why I stopped by on my way home from work."

"I'm why Eric cancelled on dinner, he didn't want to leave me alone." Lux explained. "What exactly did Eric tell you about me?"

"Eric has told us all about you Lux. He was very hurt when he had to leave you. It took us a long time to get him back into our family, into this city. I hope that for whatever reason you're here that you tread carefully when it comes to my sons heart."

"Mrs. Daniels, I would never want to hurt Eric. Maybe it is unfair of me to track him down and come back into his life after all this time but as crazy as it sounds I had to. I don't want Eric and me to be this what if thing forty years from now."

"Well my dear, I will tell you that this is the first time since Eric moved back here that I have came over and found a girl at his apartment. I know he goes out and dates but there hasn't been anyone special in his life since you."

And with that Eric's apartment door flu open. In he walked with Lux's bag and the takeout saying "Well, I ran into the delivery guy in the hallway…Mom what, what are you doing here?"

"I'm having a pleasant conversation with Lux my dear. I was worried about you and decided to come check on you." said Mrs. Daniels.

"Ok, should I be worried?" Eric asked looking back and forth from Lux to his mom.

"No, no, everything is fine." Lux assured him.

"Well I should be going, I still have to get home and fix supper." Said Mrs. Daniels.

"Ok mom, thanks for stopping by." Eric said placing the bags on the table.

"You know, I do wish the two of you could join your father and I for dinner tomorrow night. I would love the opportunity to get to know Lux more."

"Thanks mom but maybe another time."

"It was nice to meet you Mrs. Daniels."

"You too Lux. I look forward to seeing you again soon."

Eric walked his mom to the door and out into the hallway. "Look mom, I'm sorry you had to meet Lux like that. If I had known you were coming over I would have warned you she was here."

"Lux seems very nice, I see why you were so taken with her. Think about coming to dinner."

"Thanks mom but I don't know how long Lux is going to be here. Lux is dealing with a lot right now."

They hugged goodbye and Eric went back inside.

"I'm so sorry Lux I never would have left if I thought she was coming over."

"No, no it was fine. Your Mom is really nice and worried about you. I was surprised that she knew about me though." Lux stated.

"When I left Portland, I came back here briefly. I had to tell the truth. I had to tell them why I wasn't working at Westmont anymore. I had to tell them why I was so upset, so depressed."

"How did they take it?" Lux asked.

"With time has come perspective. They understood that I didn't want to do anything wrong but I fell for you so hard."

Lux took his hand. "I never meant for the situation to hurt you like it did Eric. I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know you didn't Lux. Lets eat before the Italian gets cold." Eric said.

"You know this food is almost as good as the real thing that you get in Italy. I spent some time there when I was traveling. It's a beautiful place, the architecture on the buildings, the wonderful food. It was a great experience. I have tons of pictures we can look at them later."

"It sounds wonderful. I saw your travel books on the bookshelf. Have you been to all of those places?" Lux asked

"Yes, every time I wanted to go to a new city I would research and buy a book on that city so I could do all the usual tourist things but I also explored on my own and took pictures all over the cities." Eric explained.

"You were right about this food, it's the best I've ever had." Said Lux.

After dinner they cleaned up the table putting the leftovers in the fridge. And they decided to watch another movie. Eric owned most of the classics on DVD. Lux picked Casablanca and they settled into the couch snuggled up together under an afghan to watch the movie.

When the movie was over Lux had fallen asleep next to Eric. She looked so peaceful. Eric remembered all the times they would go to Tasha's and watch a movie and curl up on the couch together. He had really missed those times.

Eric turned off the TV and picked Lux up and carried her down the hall to his bedroom and laid her under the covers. Lux held onto him for just a second saying "I've really missed you Minnesota." "You too Eeyore."


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning was Saturday and Lux and Eric woke to Rosie jumping on the bed eager to go out for her walk and be fed. Eric loved having Rosie, sometimes she was the only thing that got him up and out of bed. But on days like today he wished she would have let him and Lux sleep a little longer.

"Ok Rosie go get your leash." Turning over he said good morning to Lux. "Good morning yourself, do you want me to take her for her walk?" she offered.

"No, I will take her out. I wish I could stay like this with you forever though and just block the whole world out." Said Eric.

"I know, but we can't shut our reality this time."

"I know we can't, I know I'm being presumptuous to think that you can even stay here for any real length of time, but I want you to know that the offer is on the table. You can stay here as long as you like." Offered Eric.

"Thank you Eric, that means a lot to me."

Coming back in from walking Rosie. Eric could smell the bacon burning and the eggs frying in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, I thought I would surprise you with breakfast but it appears I inherited Cates skills for cooking."

Eric grabbed the toast out of the oven before it was totally burned. "It's okay Eeyore, it's not a total loss." Taking the frying pan from Lux and flipping the eggs over. "I think these are edible."

And they were. Eric and Lux sat down and ate the eggs and half burnt toast and talked about what they would do today.

"So have you thought anymore about going to your parents house for diner tonight?" Lux asked.

"Come on Lux we've been over this. I don't want to leave you alone for the night and you don't want to come."

"Actually, I've been thinking, since meeting your mom, she was so nice and I didn't know that they knew about me. Eric it would be really nice to meet your parents and have dinner with them. I mean we don't know, this might be my only opportunity. I must confess, I'm curious as to what the house you grew up in is like. What your parents are like." Lux said.

"Ok, Eeyore if you are sure you want to spend an evening at the Daniels household then I will call my mom and let her know we are coming." Said Eric.

Eric called his mom who was elated that they were coming while Lux went to take a shower and get dressed. Eric asked his parents not to pressure Lux or ask too many questions today.

Lux's cell phone rang while she was in the shower. Eric picked it up off the coffee table and saw it was Cate calling. He took a big breath and he answered it.

"Hi Cate, its Eric."

"Oh Hi Eric, I was just checking in on Lux. We haven't heard from her since yesterday morning and I was getting worried." Cate explained.

"She's fine Cate. She's in the shower now but I can have her call you back. Look Cate I answered because I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to make sure her being here is alright with you." Said Eric.

"It is Eric, I know Baze and I said a lot of things to you when we last spoke but I hope you understand we had to protect our sixteen year old daughter. But we realize she isn't sixteen anymore and she has been through so much since then Eric if you can help her and be there for her in whatever capacity Baze and I are okay with it." Cate stated.

"Thank you Cate. You know I still love her. I've never stopped. I don't know what the future holds given everything she has been through with Jones but I will be here for her, you have my word." Eric said.

Eric told Cate that he would have Lux call her back later.

Eric turned around to see Lux standing in the doorway to the hall.

"Did you mean what you said to Cate? That you still love me." Lux asked.

"Yes, Lux. Geese I thought you knew that I love you, I've never stopped loving you." Eric said while walking over to Lux. "I know you need time right now and space but…" Lux cut him off by kissing him.

"Wow" Eric said

"You know I've never stopped loving you either." Lux said.

They kissed again.

Realizing that Lux was only wearing one of his flannel shirts buttoned up the front Eric said "You know you should probably go get dressed, while I love the outfit, my parents probably not so much."

"Very funny Minnesota, I left my bag in here."

"Oh, right."

"I think I brought a dress that will work to wear to your parents."

"So are you done with the shower?" Eric asked.

"Yes, I just have to get dressed, which I can do in your room."

"Ok, I'm going to go jump in. And call Cate back."

The drive to Eric's parents house took half an hour. Eric said if they arrived early they could watch the game with Eric's dad, Alister. It was his favorite pastime and would be their best bonding opportunity.

It was an old Victorian style house painted blue, with a huge front and back yards. Lux had never seen anything like it. Before going inside Lux and Eric stopped on the front porch.

"I'm a little nervous about this, maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Lux wondered out loud.

"Oh, come on Eeyore, you have to bite the bullet sometime. Look my mother's already met you and that wasn't so bad was it?" Eric asked.

"No" said Lux

"Listen you'll do great but if anytime you want to leave just say the word and we'll go." Offered Eric.

"Okay" Lux agreed.

Opening the front door Eric yelled "Mom, Dad, we're here."


End file.
